During a recent rant with SMG team member for Communications Dennis Mannone of Schooley Mitchell we got on the topic of dealing with prospective clients who use disingenuous behavior to leverage or otherwise manipulate the sales process in their favor. We are all victims AND perpetrators of this behavior, really a reflection of our collective impatience and propensity to gravitate towards any means to ‘get what we want’.
I’m here to say we’ve got to stop, damn it. It’s time to tell the sales truth.
Start with the biblical, ‘Do unto others as you’ve had done to you’. If all you really want from the person on the other side of the phone is information to use in negotiating with or otherwise leveraging a quote with your existing provider, you’re not adhering to this rule.
If you don’t like it when it happens to you, why are you leaving that bag on my porch?
Since when is it ok to share proprietary information from one vendor with another. Whether you consciously made a promise not to do so or signed an NDA or an agreement with implications regarding information sharing or not you know this is not right. So why do it?
Consider what would happen if every human being held themselves to a higher standard. One that would give them personal satisfaction while opening the path towards building real trust between each other.
Consider Are my actions really working in my favor in the short-term or long-term?
Consider If everyone is doing it, is it really right let alone to my benefit to perpetuate the distrust caused when we break promises, lie, cheat others out of an opportunity or ‘do what I got to do’ so I get the sale, make another loose a sale, ruin one’s reputation,etc?
Does none of that work for you? You find my article to be self-righteous. You find my ideas to be irrelevant? I say to your jaded (not to mention insecure) behavior is costing all of us a better business experience.
Tell the Sales Truth.
Scott Graves is passionate about helping business owners. Tune in to his podcast series ‘No Boundaries Radio’ on the No Boundaries Radio Network. Meet him at the crossroads between strategy and innovation at scott@smgravesassociates.com or twitter @smgcreative.
